Messages

Roc,

The four screws are for cleats holding the floor of that compartment.  I wanted it as deep as I could make it.  The picture shows it cutting across the door opening.  I put in an access to the thru hulls after the pic was taken, but I have never used it (always too much stuff piled in there).  There is plenty of room to work on them as it is.  I have to clean the knotmeter regularly and it is no problem.

I wonder what the reason for those notches was?

I approached the useless drawer the same as Steve.  I completely partitioned off three compartments which are easily accessible and hold a lot of gear.  I made the new larger door frame much heavier than the original to help lend strength to the large cutout and the piano hinge came from the again useless cabinet above the engine in the aft berth .  The second photo is what I did with the drawer and its frame. It has also been very handy. 

Ken

Andrew,   

We've done the Bahamas 3 times.  The c34 is a good boat for this.  Size and seaworthiness are fine.  As already stated, make sure your engine is running good and wait for weather windows.

It is funny standing ashore looking out at a crowed anchorage in the Bahamas, our boat is always one of the smallest. 

Ken

I don't have a picture of the ground.  It is attached on the port side in a hole like the one shown below of the starboard side.  Cleaned away the paint and fastened with a bolt and couple large washers.  Continuity was good with my other grounds.  It has stayed clean and tight for 2000 hrs.

Ken

I did what you are thinking of in my MKII.  It has worked very well.  The cabinet with the hinged top was useless so I removed the piano hinge and fastened it all together.  The hinges you see in the back are holding it in place.  I can remove the battery and the entire cabinet in 5 minutes.  Short wire runs to the engine and good engine access.  The switch was the original on/off switch located under the nav table.  I did this 6 years ago, meaning to completely enclose the battery but still haven't got to that.

Ken

Here is a pic of mine looking in the base.  Like Ron said, pop rivets go directly through the conduit.  You can just see one out of focus at the very bottom.  The rib along the right side is the sail track.

Ken

Here is what I have.  The white coax for vhf.  The five pin connector on the right for the wind replaces the black box like Tony mentioned, and the lights are the four pin on the left.

Ken

Here is a pic of our setup.  We have done well over 100 locks like this.  Most people put a cross member above their bimini.  I ran the mast beneath the bimini, thinking lower would be less rolling.  I don't know if it helped, but maneuvering is no problem.  There is no problem in the locks with other boats. You just have to take it slow and be careful.  My mast is angled slightly to port so we do have to keep it off the wall at the bottom of the lock.  You will probably step your mast at Riverside Marina, Hop-O-Nose, or Castleton, they will store your cradle for you to pick up on your way back.  My X support on the bow is not fastened down very well so the mast must be tied down very well.  The only place you will have possible trouble with waves is on Lake Oneida.  Just don't go if the weather is bad.  We have been in 4-5' waves on Lake Ontario and large freighter wakes going down the St Lawrence River and hated every second of it, but there was no real danger (at least that is what I say now).  I have heard of people shipping the masts but have never met anyone who did.  To me it would be more of a hassle getting it ready for a truck and that much more expense.

Ken   

Lazybone,
While you are still testing your camera, would you show me where all those footpumps are?

thanks,
Ken

Thanks Ron.  Those pictures were taken 5 years ago when we took delivery of the new boat.  It had never been in the water at that point.  You can see some of the packing in the back of one of the pictures and the dipstick is still labeled.  I went through the boat and took pictures of everything to keep as a reference for later.  Those motor mounts have all been replaced after we hit a rock in Georgian Bay a couple years ago.  After replacing the mounts I thought the motor sat higher than it had previously on the front mounts, but looking at these pictures I can count the threads and compare to what they are now.  Good to have that reference.  The engine looks a little different now with 2000 hours!

Ken

Do these help?  I have a 2005 M35B. 

I tightened that lock nut up right after taking the picture, if anybody is worried.

Ken

I don't know if this will help you?  I have a 2005, probably with a different alternator?  This is the sketch I made of my original, before upgrading to a Balmar 712-80 with an MC-612.  I can tell you how these wires tie into the new setup if you need that.


Ken

I attached a picture on the "Drawer" topic at

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?PHPSESSID=f84b2bab7562fad4d6ce000b1c95f1b4&topic=5201.msg32033#new

Attached here are a couple other pictures of the interior.

This is what I did with the drawer.  It fit very well with about 3" space between it and the original outlet.  I plugged in a surge suppessor strip, and fastened it to the top.  It is now much easier to plug things in.  The top of the drawer collects odds and ends like before but the partitioned drawer holds many useful items. 

I removed the v berth drawer, widened the opening and installed a large drop down door.  I used the piano hinge from the aft cabin cabinet and it fit perfectly.  I also put a floor aft of the water tank like Steve, and completely partitioned it fore and aft.  With the two 12" doors on either side, I now have three usable storage areas.  The large door makes it possible for all kinds of things to be put in there.  We have been cruising the Great Lakes and the Bahamas and this was probably the most useful upgrade we did.